By Mario Sarmento
Staff Writer, BOCANEWS.COM

The Golden Generation of United States soccer will be well represented in next Friday’s World Cup. Landon Donovan, DeMarcus Beasley, Bobby Convey, and Oguchi Onyewu, were part of the first wave of U.S. soccer players to live and train in an academy for the express purpose of competing against the world’s best in a sport this country had yet to master.

But it is at the next World Cup, in 2010 in South Africa, where America’s greatest prospect might be ready to take center stage.

He’s not Freddy Adu, and he isn’t a household name yet. But he hails from Boca Raton by way of New York.

Dr. Josef Schulz, director of Schulz Academy, had the foresight to pluck Josmer Altidore from a local soccer field after watching him play a pickup game eight years ago. Altidore was only eight years old at the time.

“When I saw him, I went to his dad and I said, ‘Don’t laugh, if you bring your son to my program, he will have a chance to be on the National team.’” Schulz said.

To his credit, Josmer’s father took Schulz seriously, and the next day he dropped him off at Schulz Academy to learn the ins and outs of the most popular sport in the world.

Former Schulz Academy player Josmer Altidore looks to make his mark on the U.S. national team in the near future.

At age 16, Altidore has already been drafted by the New York Red Bulls of the MLS, and no less an authority than Alexi Lalas – the man who was the face of U.S. soccer resurgence in the 1990s and now serves as the president/general manager of the Red Bulls – said Altidore will make the difference for American soccer in the future.

Altidore hasn’t seen any time on the field for the Red Bulls so far, but he has played well in practice, and he said it’s just a matter of time before he hits the field.

“My confidence level is really high.” He said, “I’m pretty patient but it’s going to come.”

That should be no surprise coming from a player who Schulz said scored at least 100 goals combined in the different leagues he played in each year.

“He is the whole package.” Schulz said, “He’s tall, he’s strong.”

And that fills a hole this current United States National team has. If there’s one thing the scrappy Americans are missing, it’s a big target who can finish in a crowd and create goals where there seemingly are no possibilities. At 6-foot-2 and still growing, Altidore fits the role to a T.

“When I get the ball on my feet, I feel like I can make anything happen.” Altidore said.

Schulz has already heard the clamor from international academy coaches who believe Altidore is the best player ever to come out of the United States. Fittingly, this month Altidore will try to prove them right as he helps the U.S. Under-18 national team take on the world in Lisbon, Portugal in a month-long tournament.

At age 8 Josmer Altidore was being carefully groomed by Schulz for a future spot on the U.S. national team and a professional soccer career.

And unlike other big players who rarely have the technical skills to do something other than get their bulky bodies between a defender and the goal, Altidore possess the sublime skill of a much smaller man.

“He knows all the moves.” Schulz said. “He can cross like a world class player and he has a bomb of a shot.”

For now though, Altidore will continue to reside in the shadows of other more publicized players such as Adu who did not make the cut as a 17-year-old for this year’s national team.

“I think he’s much better than Adu.” Schulz said. “He’s limited. He’s not tall. He can’t play this threatening position. The teams who have that player can become world champions.”

That’s why Schulz ranks the U.S. as a serious contender for the 2010 Cup, because he sees Altidore filling one of the most important roles on the field. And that’s Altidore’s next goal.

“I’m hoping that in South Africa I will be with the next World Cup team training.” he said.

That doesn’t seem too far-fetched an idea.

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